The Night Health Care Died

January 4, 2010

Shortly after 1 a.m. on Monday, December 21, 2009 the US Senate voted 60 to 40 to close debate on Harry Reid's Health Care bill and move on to a vote of passage. At that moment, the Trifecta of Tyranny, Obama, Pelosi and Reid, won a major battle against their arch enemy, the American people and moved even closer to their goal of eradicating freedom and liberty from these shores.

Reid's battle plan was to keep the Senate in session and hold votes in the middle of the night so as to cram this legislation through by Christmas and before the Senators go home and are confronted by angry constituents. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) blamed Republicans for the weekend sessions, late night votes and possibly "ruining Christmas" for the Senate staff. For obvious reasons, Senator Whitehouse would have preferred there be no debate at all on the bill. But as far as ruining Christmas, Reid could have tabled this legislation any time he wanted and resume debate after the Christmas break. He wouldn't do that in order to try and get a final bill signed by Obama before his first State of the Union address. So if Senator Whitehouse wants to blame someone for "ruining Christmas," he need look no further than his own Senate Majority Leader.

There may be a small moral victory for the people in this whole mess; it once and for all exposed the myth of the Blue Dog Democrat. I don't want to hear any more about "conservative Democrats" or "moderate Democrats." We can now clearly see who they are and what they are. They may kick and scream a bit but in the end, they will support the most liberal legislation that comes along.

Of course, you may have to cut a few back room deals for their votes. By the way, where were the C-Span cameras Obama promised? That's how Harry Reid secured Senator Ben Nelson's 60th and deciding vote for cloture. The Federal Government will pick up the tab for expanded Medicaid coverage in Nebraska. According to the New York Post, the $45 million "Cornhusker Kickback" is for Nebraska only; no other state need apply. This is on top of $300 million for Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and $100 million to Chris Dodd (D-CT). Pat Leahy got $600 million in Medicaid benefits for Vermont and Max Baucus secured additional Medicaid coverage in Montana for a pet project of his. Harry Reid defended the payoffs as part of typical negotiations and compromise. We are really losing the language when out and out bribes are called compromise. But what's a few hundred million taxpayer dollars when there are votes to be bought. Reid even seemed to deride the Senators who chose not to slop at his troth.

The liberals were very quick to label President Bush a fascist. The people who did that had no idea what fascism is. David Axelrod on Stephanopolus said that the Senate passed Health Care bill would control the profits of insurance companies and the bonuses paid to insurance CEO's, even those who did not take any TARP or stimulus money. This means that some private businesses will be run, in whole or in part, by the Federal Government. This is the definition of fascism and it is being implemented purely by Democrats; no Republican Senator voted for it. So, who are the real fascists?

National Review Online reports that Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) found a "particularly troubling" rule change in Reid's bill that would make the Independent Medicare Advisory Board (IMAB) impossible to be dismantled by a later Congress. The IMAB will be an unelected body that is supposed to "reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending" and is the "death panel" that Sarah Palin spoke about. You may be wondering why the Democrats would be so protective of this particular part of the legislation. As William Kristol points out "the heart of the bill is the attempt to get control of our health care permanently in the hands of federal bureaucrats." This bill turns the simple act of going to the doctor into an act of a federal bureaucracy.

The only place left to turn may be our own state governments. According to the AP, Oklahoma State Representatives Mike Ritze and Mike Reynolds and State Senator Randy Brogdon have introduced the Health Care Freedom of Choice Act. The Tenth Amendment Center describes the act as an amendment to the state constitution that would prohibit any law that would compel any person or business to participate in any health care system, allow the direct sale or purchase of health services without fee or penalty, and allow the sale or purchase of private health insurance. Arizona was the first to introduce such an act and several other states have similar legislation pending. The only chink in the tyrants' armor may be the states willing to assert their sovereignty.

Humphrey Stevenson has BS degrees in Chemistry and Mathematics and an MBA and makes his home in Tulsa, OK. He is a chemist by trade, has been published in trade journals, and is a recent "tea party" participant and political writer. His inspiration, as with many conservatives, is Ronald Reagan.